However, there is one main reason why people still feel so unfulfilled after completing all of their habits and checking all of the boxes on their to-do lists. I am talking about a lack of spontaneity.
Being Spontaneous Is Not Frivolous
In corporate culture, being spontaneous or even just slightly straying from the normal day-to-day can be viewed as flippant or even irresponsible. We fall victim to the same expectations of ourselves, too– believing that experimenting with new activities or life structures would sound like a good idea if we had “more time” or “more resources.”
The truth, though, is that spontaneity is arguably the most accessible way to start bettering our mental health for a plethora of reasons. So, we have to stop making excuses for pushing off our curiosities and break down the benefits of indulgence in the “new.”
Benefits Of Hopping Off The Hamster Wheel
While answering emails, completing our house chores, and checking off our to-do lists might seem like the most logical and responsible way to run our life, this type of fervent consistency is, first of all, boring. More importantly, though, it can also lead to procrastination and cynicism, which results in major burnout.
One study centered around Austrian and Italian college students even found a link between psychological suffering and low spontaneity.
But, if you decide to implement some elements of surprises into your life, you can actually reap some really therapeutic benefits. When we engage in more creative and spontaneous experiences, a cognitive process known as “divergent thinking” is activated.
This allows us to think outside of the box, feel more comfortable participating in new activities, and generally feel happier and more fulfilled.
Changing up a repetitive routine can also make our days slow down– but in a good way. If you ever feel like weeks are flying by and you are missing out on experiencing life to the fullest, then using your creative brain is necessary.
Each time you try a new activity, your brain has to pay attention and learn. This results in time virtually “slowing down” in a way that our routines cannot provide. After all, once we have checked our inboxes or cleaned the bathroom a hundred times over, we no longer have to really think hard about it, right?